Stora Suspends Forest Harvesting After Thousands of Mussels Die

Finnish forestry company Stora Enso Oyj suspended some harvesting activities after thousands of endangered freshwater pearl mussels died at one of its sites.

Harvesting was stopped in all areas across Finland where there are restrictions under the Water Act, the Forest Act or the Nature Conservation Act, according to a statement from the Helsinki-based company on Monday. Works won’t restart until it has reassessed operational guidelines, harvesting plans and risks, it said.

Thousands of endangered mussels perished at a Stora Enso harvesting site in northern Finland after logging machines repeatedly crossed their shallow river habitat, stirring up mud and sand that is suffocating more of the animals downstream.

That’s sparked a loud public outcry in the Nordic country since the news broke last week. Environmental groups and politicians have joined the public in slamming the company for negligence and carelessness. Climate and Environment Minister Kai Mykkanen said last week Stora Enso must pay all costs related to the clean-up of the Hukkajoki river.

The cost of killing a protected freshwater pearl mussel is set in Finnish law at €589 ($659) each.

“Stora Enso’s credibility has taken a serious blow,” Chief Executive Officer Hans Sohlstrom said in the statement.

The incident was discovered Aug. 15, but it’s unclear how long activity has been going on before then.

The Finnish forestry company said it has now taken numerous measures to ensure similar incidents could not happen again after it became subject to an investigation into a serious nature-conservation crime.

Stora said it is also offering additional training on environmental policies and guidelines for its workers and contractors and has launched its own internal investigation into the events at the Hukkajoki river.

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